THE WORK “THE FRAGMENTS OF THE FALLEN COMRADES” BY PHAN THUY HA FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF TRAUMA THEORY

Abstract

Psychological trauma of post-war veterans is an important issue that has not been fully explored in literature. In the study of Phan Thuy Ha’s work The Fragments of the Fallen Comrades, the research question is raised: How does psychological trauma affect the behavior, emotions, and social relationships of veterans? What advantages does the non-fiction genre of the work have over the fiction genre? To address this issue, we apply trauma theory and use an interdisciplinary approach, combining literature and psychology, along with content analysis and psychological analysis methods. The aim of the study is to analyze the impact of war memories on the characters’ psychology and behavior. The results of the study show that the characters are frequently haunted by war memories, which cause them to be trapped in the past, leading to significant damage to their behavior, emotions, and social relationships. The non-fiction genre enhances the work’s authenticity and clarifies the process of confronting the past in order to heal. The study affirms the importance of trauma theory in approaching post-war literature.